Roll up door lock



A ril 9, 1968 Filed Dec.

J. V. PASTVA ROLL UP DOOR LOCK 4 Sheeis-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR. JOHA/ 1! 2457114 5mm, 8mm,

HMO 6 W April 9, 1968 .1. v. PASTVA 3,377,091

ROLL UP DOOR LOCK Filed Dec. 2, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet fi 1N VENTOR.

JaH/v 24:74/4

ROLL UP DOOR LOCK Filed Dec. 2, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. I 45 4 JOHA/ 4/ awn/4 A ril 9, 1968 J. v. PASTVA 3, 77,

ROLL. UP DOOR LOCK Filed Dec. 2-, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 H 4 CiliL. u/ i INVENTOR.

BY 604400151 Swag, mi/(hm I477OPA/EY5' United States Patent M 3,377,091 ROLL UP DOOR LOCK John V. Pastva, Parma Heights, Ohio, assignor to The Eastern Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Connecticut Filed Dec. 2, 1965, Ser. No. 511,048 9 Claims. (Cl. 292-65) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A lock for locking two parts comprising a keeper member on one of the parts and a non-rotatable base member on the other of the parts, a latch member having a latch portion at one end and an opening spaced therefrom, and a movable member rotatably mounted on the base member and engaging the opening to permit eccentric relative rotation of the latch member, the movable member having means for positively moving the latch member toward and away from the keeper member on rotation of the movable member.

This invention relation to locks, and more particularly to locks of the type in which an arm that is swingably mounted on one part to be locked is adapted to engage a keeper member mounted on the other part to be locked.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved lock of this type adapted to be quickly and easily installed and which is of rugged and durable character, comprising a relatively small number of parts adapted to he economically produced, most of them by pressing of sheet metal, and to be assembled readily.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lock of this character which is particularly adapted to lock a door that in opening moves away from a sill member or the like in a path which is planar at least for a portion of its travel near the sill member; such a door, for example, as a vehicle trailer body door of the roll-up type.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lock, such as a door lock, that is adapted to be actuated from either inside or outside the door.

A further object is the provision of such a lock which is adapted to be locked, so its latch arm is held in locking position, from either the inside or the outside of a door.

Other objects and advantages of the invention reside in the combinations or arrangements of parts and features of design and construction which provide simplicity and economy in manufacturing, servicing and repairing. The various objects will become apparent as the description proceeds, such description being made with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of one embodiment of the invention in which the lock is mounted on the inside of a roll-up vehicle body door, the lock being shown as locked, this lock being adapted to be actuated from either the inside or outside of a door and to be locked and unlocked from inside or outside a door;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the lock of FIGURE 1 and to the same scale, a section being taken through the door and the sill supporting the lock;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation to a smaller scale showing the actuating handle partially turned counterclockwise to unlocking position so the latch arm is partially disengaged from the keeper member;

FIGURE 4 is a view of the lock of FIGURE 1, to the same scale as FIGURE 3, showing the latch arm completely unlocked from the keeper member;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective to a scale larger than that of FIGURES 3 and 4 and somewhat smaller than that of Patented Apr. 9, 1968 FIGURES 1 and 2, showing parts of the interior locking mechanism of the lock when the parts are positioned to lock the latch arm in the keeper member, parts being omitted and others being broken away for the sake of clearness;

FIGURE 6 is a front elevational view of the lock, parts being omitted and others broken away for the sake of clearness to show parts of the interior locking mechanism of the lock when the parts are initially positioned to release the latch arm;

FIGURE 7 is another view, corresponding generally to FIGURE 6, but showing the interior locking mechanism parts positioned during rotation of the latch arm of the lock;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary view, corresponding generally to FIGURES 6 and 7 and to the same scale, showing actuation of the interior locking mechanism from outside the door to release the latch arm;

FIGURE 9 is an elevation of another embodiment of the invention, from the top, shown as mounted on the outside of a roll-up door of a vehicle body;

FIGURE 10 is a front view of this embodiment with the latch arm in looking position; and

FIGURE 11 is another front elevation showing its latch arm in completely unlocked position.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the door 1, which may be a conventional door such as a roll-up door on a truck trailer, is locked to the doorsill 2 by a lock 3 embodying the invention and having a latch member 4 that engages a lower keeper member 5 mounted on a cross member 6 that forms part of the frame and rear doorsill structures of the trailer body. Doorsill member 6 is slotted at 7 to prevent interference with latch member 4 as it swings.

Lock 3 comprises a back plate 11 to which is fixed a cover plate 12 having a raised center portion 13 that encloses interior locking mechanism to be described later. The back plate, the fixed cover plate, and the raised portion 13 of the cover plate are preferably all circular and concentric to each other, as shown. The base member formed of the back plate 11 and the cover plate 12 is rigidly fixed to the door 1 by bolts 14 and nuts 15.

Both of these 16 and 17 that are coaxial about an axis A that is offset downwardly by a distance d in a vertical plane from the axis B about which the plates 11 and 12 are circular.

Mounted between the back plate 11 and the inside of the raised portion 13 of the cover plate 12 is a pivot member 18, which also acts as a tumbler, having a circular pivot boss 19 that projects through opening 16 in the back plate 11 and a pivot boss 20 that projects through Opening 17 in the cover plate 12.

A movable cover 22 is rotatably mounted by its opening 23, on the projecting boss 20 of member 18, and is held in place axially by conventional restraining ring 2'4 snapped in groove 25 near the outer end of boss 20. Cover 22, which is preferably formed of pressed sheet metal, has a continuous outwardly-facing circular shoulder 26 forming part of an annular groove or channel 27 that is circular about an axis C. Axis C is offset from axis A by a distance equal to the distance d separating the axes A and B. Consequently, when the cover 22 is in the position shown in FIGURE 1 in which the lock 3 is locked, axis C essentially coincides with axis B.

As shown in FIGURE 1 in the illustrated embodiment, the outer periphery of annular groove 27 is interrupted over an arc of essentially to define two shoulders 28 and 29. Channel 27 therefore is defined by continuous outwardly-facing inner shoulder 26, a continuous flange portion 30 that faces base plate 12 and a partial outer peripheral wall 31 having an inwardlyfacing surface or shoulder that extends for essentially plates 11 and 12 have circular openings 255 around the periphery of cover 22 between shoulders 28 and 29, all formed in cover 22; and by the front face of plate 12. An actuating handle 32 is rigidly fixed, as by welding, to movable cover 22.

Latch member -4 comprises an eye-shaped portion 33, having a circular inner opening 34 and a circular outer periphery 35, from the lower portion of which projects a locking arm 36. This eye-shaped portion 33 is of such size and cross-sectional configuration that it fits relatively closely, but loosely within the annular channel 27 between movable cover 22 and the raised portion 13 of fixed cover plate 12, with arm 36 projecting out of the space between shoulders 28 and 29.

The free end of arm 36 has adjustably threaded thereon a wedge member 37 fixed in place by set screw 38. When the apparatus is locked, this wedge member engages keeper member 5, which in plan has a U-shaped opening 39 that has upwardly-, inwardly-sloping sides 40 to fit and closely engage the correspondingly shaped sides of the wedge member 37. Preferably, latch member 4 is formed of round-sectional bar stock that is bent to shape and has its end in the eye-portion welded to provide continuous metal at this location.

The parts are arranged so that, as shown in FIGURE 1, when actuating handle 32 is turned to its extreme horizontal position in clockwise direction when the lock is viewed by facing the cover 22, the arm 36 of the latch member 4 is essentially vertical and its wedge member 37 is locked in the keeper member 5. When the handle 32 is moved in a counterclockwise direction for about 90, the eccentric mounting of the movable cover 22 on boss 20 causes the end of the arm 36 to move initially downwardly, as shown in FIGURE 3, to a position where its wedge member 37 is completely disengaged from the keeper member but its arm 4 extends through member 5.

Continued counterclockwise movement of the handle and cover 22 until the handle extends generally horizontally essentially 180 from its original position, as shown in FIGURE 4, causes shoulder 28 of member 22 to engage the arm 36 of latch member 4 adjacent the eyeshaped portion and move the arm 36 in a counterclockwise direction entirely out of keeper member 5 until the arm 36 is in a generally horizontal position, shown in FIGURE 4. The lock is now completely unlocked and the 'door 1 can be moved upwardly to any desired position.

Assuming that the door is closed and handle 32 positioned as in FIGURE 4, the latch member 4 can be engaged with keeper 5 by turning the handle 32 clockwise. After the handle has been turned clockwise approximately 90 so it is essentially vertical, the shoulder 29 of cover 22 engages the portion of arm 36 downwardly, if the arm has not already moved downwardly under the influence of gravity. On movement of the handle 32 clockwise to its original horizontal position, the shoulder 29 positively moves the arm 36 clockwise until its wedge member 37 fully seats in the opening 39 of keeper member 5, as shown in FIGURE 1.

This embodiment of the invention also includes means permitting the apparatus 3 to be actuated from outside the door, and also means permitting the apparatus to be unlocked by a key outside the door.

Furthermore, when the cover 22 is turned to its locking position either from inside the door or outside the door, internal locking mechanism automatically locks the lock 3 in its locked position so that it must be unlocked from inside the door or from outside the door with a key.

To accomplish these objectives, the above described member 18 (FIGURES 5, 6 and 7) that rotatably supports cover 22 is itself rotatably mounted on bosses 19 and journalled in back plate 11 and fixed cover plate 12. Member 18 also has a radial wall 42 carrying a generally axial peripheral wall 43 that is circular around axis A for a major portion of the periphery of the member 18; this wall 43 is interrupted and terminates in a locking wall 45. Radial wall 42 has a notch 46 with a bearing surface 47.

The radial wall 42 adjacent notch 46 carries a pin 48 extending through slot 49 in fixed cover plate 12 centered on axis A, and into an opening 51 in the movable cover 22. Therefore pin 48 causes member 18 to rotate as the cover 22 rotates, and also by its contact with the ends of slot 49 limits the amount the cover 22 can rotate.

A tumbler-locking member 52 is pivotally mounted about an axis X between back plate 11 and cover plate 12, by a pin 53 secured in coaxial openings in the plates 11 and 12. A trigger member 54 is pivotally mounted about an axis Y on a pivot pin 55 on member 52. Axis Y is substantially offset relative to axis X, and trigger member 54 extends generally opposite to the direction that member 52 extends.

Tumbler-locking member 52 is biased for movement toward the member 18, and trigger member 54 is also biased on member 52 for movement toward member 18, by a spring 56. The spring, of generally Z-shaped configuration, has helical bearing portions 57 surrounding pin 53 and (is U-shaped to loop about) pin 55, to locate the spring; one end of the spring engages a lug S9 fixed to the back plate :11 inside the raised portion 13 of the fixed cover plate, and the other end bears against the trigger member 54 to urge it toward member 18.

When lock 3 is locked (FIGURES 1 and 5) trigger member 54 normally bears against a pin 61 fixed to and projecting outwardly from the fixed cover plate 12, and the tumbler-locking member 52 is in its extreme clockwise position in which its locking surface 62 engages the locking surface 45 of the member 18 to lock member 18 against counterclockwise rotation. Since pin 48 of member 18 engages cover 22 it also locks cover 22 against counterclockwise movement which would permit opening of the lock 3.

The tumbler-locking member 52 has a releasing handle 63 that extends generally radially outwardly through slot 64 in raised portion 13 of fixed cover plate '12. When handle 63 is moved to the left in FIGURES 1, 3-5, the member 52 pivots about its pin 53 until a notch 65 of trigger member 54 engages the pin 61 to hold temporarily the tumbler-locking member 52 in a position in which its surface 62 clears surface 45 of the member 18; notch 46 in member 18 provides necessary clearance (FIGURE 6). Handle 32 can now be turned counterclockwise to unlock the apparatus 3 as previously described; when handle 32 is partly turned counterclockwise, movable cover 22 turns tumbler member 18 until its bearing surface 47 engages a projecting finger portion 66 of trigger member 54 (FIGURE 6) and raises member 54 so its notch 65 disengages from pin 61. While biasing spring 56 urges the tumbler-locking member 52 clockwise, it cannot lock member 18 because its lower edge 67 (FIGURE 7) rides on the outer circular axiallyextending wall 43 of tumbler member 18 throughout the remaining angular movement of member 18 to its position corresponding to the position of cover plate 22 shown in FIGURE 4.

When movable cover 22 is turned clockwise toward locking position shown in FIGURE 1, the edge 67 of the tumbler-locking member moves on the circular wall 43 of the member '18 until the surface 45 of the member 18 clears the surface 62 of the tumbler-locking member 52, when the spring 56 moves the locking member 52 clockwise so its locking surface 62 is adjacent surface 45 on tumbler 18. Tumbler 18, and movable cover plate 22 are then locked against counterclockwise turning and the latch member 4 is locked into engagement with keeper 5.

The member 18 has a coaxial square cross-sectioned opening 71 that is accessible and permits entry from outside the door of a crank having a matching square cross section member. Rotation of the crank handle in the proper direction then will permit opening of the door lock from outside the door once the tumbler-locking member 52 has been released.

The illustrated means for releasing the tumbler-locking member from outside the door comprises a cam member 72 (FIGURES 1, 58) that is mounted between the back plate 11 and the raised portion 13 of the fixed cover plate 12 for at least partial rotation about an axis Z parallel to axes A and X. This cam member has a portion 73, accessible from the outside of the door, that permits it to be turned about its axis; it also has a curved cam portion 74 that, on rotation of the cam member, engages a surface 75 (FIGURE 8) on tumbler-locking member 52 offset from and so related to the pivot axis X of member 52 that member 52 rotates counterclockwise about axis X sufiiciently to lift its locking surface 62 out of engagement with the bearing surface 45 of the member 18 and to engage trigger member 54 with pin 61, thus releasing the member '18 and the movable cover plate 22 for rotation. Cam member 72 preferably is locked, and rotated when unlocked, from outside the door by suitable key-locking means 76 such as a conventional key-operated pillar lock, or other types of conventional locking mechanisms could be used, including those utilizing padlocks.

After the cam member 72 has been unlocked from the outside and has been rotated to release the tumbler-locking member 52 from the tumbler member 18, the apparatus can be locked or unlocked from the outside by a crank or the like that engages the square hole 71 in the tumbler member 18.

The embodiment of FIGURES 9, and 11 shows a modification operating on a similar principle in which,

however, the lock is mounted on the outside of a roll-up door on a truck trailer and is locked by a separate lock such as a padlock.

In this modification, the truck trailer door 80 is locked to the doorsill 82 by a lock 83 having a latch member 84 that engages a keeper member 85 mounted on cross member 86 that extends across the trailer body at its rear end. Cross member 86 is slotted at 87 to clear latch arm 84 when it swings.

The lock 83 comprises a circular backplate 88, preferably formed of pressed sheet metal, fixed to the outside of the door 1 and having a raised portion 89 coaxial with the center of the plate 88. The backplate 88 carries a pivot member 91 circular about a fixed axis A that is offset downwardly by a distance d in a vertical plane from the axis B about which the plate 38 and its raised portion 89 are circular.

A movable cover 92, preferably formed of pressed sheet metal, is rotatably mounted on pivot member 91, being held in place axially by suitable means. Cover 92 has a continuous outwardly-facing circular shoulder 93 circular about an axis C. Axis C is offset from axis A by a distance equal to the distance d separating the axes A and B. Consequently, when the movable cover 92 is in the locked position shown in FIGURE 10, axis C essentially coincides with axis A.

The outer periphery of the annular channel 94 of cover 92 is interrupted to define two shoulders 95 and 96. Channel 94 thus is defined by a continuous outwardly-facing inner shoulder 93, a continuous flange portion 97 and an inwardly-facing outer shoulder on partial wall 98 on member 92; and by back plate 88. An actuating handle 99 is rigidly fixed to movable cover 92.

The latch member 84 is like latch member 4 of the previous embodiment and similarly formed of round bar stock. It has an eye-shaped portion 100 from the lower portion of which projects a latch arm 101. This eyeshaped portion fits relatively closely but loosely within the channel 94 with arm 101 projecting out of the space between the shoulders 95 and 96.

Arm 101 has adjustably mounted on its free end a Wedge member 102 that, when the apparatus is locked, engages the keeper member which in plan has a U- shaped opening with sloping sides that closely engages the sloping sides of wedge member 102.

When, as shown in FIGURE 10, the actuating handle 99 is turned clockwise to its extreme horizontal position when the lock is viewed by one facing the cover 92, the arm 101 is essentially vertical and the wedge member 102 closely engages the keeper member 85 and the apparatus is locked. When the handle is moved counterclockwise for about the eccentric mounting of the cover 92 on pivot member 91 causes the end of arm 101 initially to move downwardly as in the previous embodiment to a maximum position where its wedge member 102 disengages from keeper member 85.

Continued counterclockwise movement of the handle 99 until it extends generally horizontally essentially 180 from its original position, as shown in FIGURE 11, causes the shoulder of the cover 92 to engage the arm 101 of the latch member and move it counterclockwise entirely out of keeper member 85 until the arm moves to an opposite generally horizontal position, as shown in FIGURE 11. The lock is now completely unlocked and the door 80 can be opened by raising to any desired position.

Once the door has been closed, the handle 99 can be turned clockwise to its original position shown in FIG- URE 10. Initial clockwise turning of the handle for about 90 causes the shoulder 96 of cover 92 to engage the latch arm 101 if it has not already moved downwardly by gravity. Continuing clockwise turning of the handle 99 to its original horizontal position causes shoulder 96 positively to move arm 101 clockwise until its Wedge member 102 moves to its extreme limit of travel in the opening of keeper member 85, as shown in FIGURE 10.

In this embodiment of the invention, clamps 104 receive the end of handle 99 when in the above generally horizontal positions. Each clamp 104 is generally U- shaped in cross section, having a back wall 105 by which it is fixed to the door and a front Wall 106 the upper edge of which is inwardly turned at 107. When the end of the handle 99 is received in the clamp, it is securely held between the back and front walls and under the inturned edge. If desired, each clamp may have an opening 108 in its front wall that matches a corresponding opening in the handle. The hasp of a suitable lock, such as a padlock 109 shown in broken lines in FIGURE 10, may then be passed through both openings to lock the handle either in the locked or unlocked position.

From the foregoing description and explanation of structures and modes of operation of two embodiments of the invention, it is apparent that the lock of this invention is particularly well adapted for use on doors that open by pulling away from a sill member or the like in a substantially planar path, as occurs with roll-up doors; and that when used in such environment, the latch arm of this lock can be wedged firmly against the keeper member to prevent opening of the door and yet can be readily removed from contact with the keeper member by a partial rotation of a member carrying the keeper member and then completely released by further rotation. It is also apparent that most of the parts of the lock can be made of relatively inexpensive sheet metal and the latch member of readily available bar or rod stock, yet the structure is such that the lock is strong and resists unauthorized entry. Furthermore, the lock requires relatively few parts and can be readily and easily assembled. It can be made in designs which permit it to be mounted on the inside of a door and actuated from either the inside or the outside, and also to be unlocked from inside or outside the door; or it can be made so it can be mounted on and actuated from the outside of a door.

The principles of the present invention may be utilized in various ways, modifications other than those indicated being contemplated. It is to be understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above are given merely for the purposes of explanation and illustration, without intending to limit the scope of the claims to the specific details enclosed.

What is claimed is:

1. A lock adapted to lock two parts against relative movement, said lock comprising a keeper member on one of said parts, a base member on the other of said parts, a movable member having a circular outwardly-facing shoulder extending generally transversely of said base member and a flange portion adjacent said shoulder and spaced generally transversely from said base member, said shoulder and said flange portion cooperating to form with said base member a circular channel, means rotatably mounting said movable member on said base member for rotation about an axis spaced radially on said movable member from the axis about which said shoulder is circular, a latch member having a latch arm adapted to engage said keeper member and an eye-shaped portion rotatably fitting in said channel, means for rotating said movable member about its axis of rotation, first means on said movable member adapted to engage said latch member to move said latch arm out of said keeper member after said movable member has been partially rotated in one direction, and second means on said movable member angularly spaced from said first means adapted to engage said latch member to move said latch arm into said keeper member when said movable member is rotated in the other direction.

2. A lock according to claim 1 in which said axis of rotation of said movable member is spaced on said movalble member from said axis about which said channel is circular in the direction extending toward said keeper member when said latch arm is engaged with said keeper member.

3. A lock according to claim 1 comprising means for rotating said movable member about its axis of rotation from the side of said lock at which said movable member is located and from the side of said look at which said base member is located.

4. A lock according to claim 1 comprising a tumbler member rotatable about said axis of rotation of said movable member and fixed for rotation with said movable member, releasable locking means operating between said tumbler member and said base member for locking said tumbler member and said movable member against rotation in the direction that will cause said latch arm to move out of said keeper member, and means for releasing said releasable locking means.

5. A lock according to claim 4 comprising means for releasing said releasable locking means from the side of said lock at which said rotatable member is located and from the side of said lock at which said base member is located.

6. A lock according to claim 5 comprising means for rotating said movable member about its axis of rotation from the side of said lock at which said movable member is located and from the side of said lock at which said base member is located.

7. A lock according to claim 4 in which when said tumbler member and the movable member that rotates with it are rotated to the angular position thereof in which said latch portion engages said keeper member, said releasable locking means engages said tumbler member to prevent rotation of said tumbler member and said movable member in the direction that will cause said latch portion to move out of said keeper member.

8. A lock according to claim 7 in which said releasable locking means permits rotation of said tumbler member and the movable member connected thereto in the direction to remove said latch portion from said keeper member, after said releasable locking means has been disengaged from said tumbler member by said means for releasing said locking means.

9. A lock according to claim 1 in which said movable member is a generally pan-shaped sheet metal member having formed at its periphery a groove that faces said base member and is defined by said circular outwardlyfacing shoulder, said flange portion, and an outer wall portion that is removed over an angular portion of its periphery to define two shoulders constituting said first and second means for engaging said latch member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,729,089 1/ 1956 Pelein 29536 X 3,061,347 10/1962 Schueter 292-111 3,191,244 6/1965 Burke 292-111 X 3,103,805 9/1963 Crosswell.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

JOHN R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner. 

